动物们也需要各种各样的护理

我们都需要时不时的做一些护理，动物世界也不例外。, ,We all need a little pampering ¹ from time to time and the animal world is no exception. Creatures from the same species, and frequently from a completely different one, engage in a variety of cleaning and grooming ² behaviours for a wide range of disparate reasons. So slip on a fluffy ³ robe, lie back, relax and enjoy a mini spa day courtesy of these beautiful bathing beasts., ,HAIR TREATMENT
, ,Let’s start at the top shall we? It’s a familiar, practically iconic, image. A group of primates ⁴, huddled ⁵ together, grooming one another. Delicately picking at, and stroking, the fur of a companion and popping the occasional tasty morsel ⁶ into their mouths. But what purpose does it serve? This allogrooming, or tending to the pelt ⁷ of a member of the same species, is certainly social, used to indicate dominant ⁸ social structure as well as to help fend ⁹ off disease from germ-carrying parasites ¹⁰ or ticks. But there are other, more surprising benefits. In macaques, this sort of attention has been shown to reduce heart rate and alleviate ¹¹ stress, while a study of vervet monkeys has shown that grooming helps to insulate their fur by fluffing it up like a duvet., ,FACIAL, ,Sometimes a grooming or cleaning regime helps to reach the parts that other grooming can’t reach. Honey bees are fastidious cleaners. Through millions of years of evolution, they instinctually know that their hive has to be kept completely clean of microbes and any other germ-ridden threat from the outside world. Which is tricky ¹², as they tend to deal in the transportation of sticky substances such as pollen ¹³ and propolis, or ‘bee glue’ which is used to construct their hives. To make sure they are free of such residue ¹⁴, a specially ¹⁵ designated worker bee will clean the mouth parts, antenna ¹⁶ and any other bits of the insect that they can’t quite reach themselves., ,TEETH CLEAN, ,But you don’t have to rely on members of your own clan ¹⁷ to help keep spick and span. Some quite extraordinary, symbiotic ¹⁸ relationships have developed between differing species which occasionally involve creatures that would usually be viewed as predator ¹⁹ and prey ²⁰. One of the more remarkable ²¹ involves the Nile Crocodile and the Egyptian Plover ²². Against every natural instinct pulsating ²³ through its little bird brain, the plover flies into the croc’s mouth and frees food that’s stuck to their not insubstantial teeth. As well as the birds getting a quick snack, it helps to stave off infection that trapped morsels ²⁴ can cause in the crocodile’s mouth., ,MASSAGE ²⁵,If you’ve ever known or been in close contact with a cat, you’ll appreciate that they have a tendency to be needy ²⁶. And kneady. Yes, cats love to knead. They push on a surface - another cat, a cushion, their owners - with a distinctive ²⁷ left paw, right paw motion, as if they are massaging ²⁸ whatever they are touching ²⁹. Or possibly making bread. But why do they do it? In fact, no one is really sure. One theory is it’s a throwback to kittenhood, when it was a technique used to start the flow of milk from their mother’s teat, so they repeat it when feeling safe and content. Another notion is that it harkens back to ancestral big cat behaviour, when they would trample ³⁰ down a soft space before sleeping or giving birth. Or else it’s a territorial ³¹ thing, marking a spot with the scent ³² glands ³³ on their paws. Nothing is ever straightforward ³⁴ with cats., ,PEDICURE,Thankfully, that strange craze for fish being used to nibble ³⁵ dead skin from people’s feet as a form of pedicure has passed by. Unless you’re a hippo. Hippos are known for being incredibly bad-tempered ³⁶ and quick to anger. So most animals steer ³⁷ well clear of them once they appear. Except for the wily barb ³⁸ fish who shadows a wallowing hippo as it relaxes on a riverbed, then nibbles ³⁹ and chews at its patient’s skin, removing parasites and unwanted intruders from any cracks and scars on the surface. They even delve ⁴⁰ into the hippo’s mouth for a quick dental check. Rather than being annoyed, the hippo seems to enjoy the experience and then actually goes into a sort of trance after being attended to, lying in the water, eyes closed and without a care in the world., ,DERMABRATION,It may appear to be an unfeeling shield of bone, but the shell of the Hawaiian green sea turtle is covered in living skin and needs to be looked after. Many types of fish, such as the striking yellow tang fish, line up to clean algae ⁴¹ from their shells, acting ⁴² like a sort of ‘fish car wash’. The turtles even adopt a specific, ‘standing on tiptoe’ posture ⁴³, so every inch of them can be dealt with. Some researchers believe that the turtles don’t necessarily appreciate why the algae needs to be removed, or even if it necessarily has to be cleaned at all, and so they partake in this behaviour merely for the pleasant tickling ⁴⁴ sensation it produces.,